1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trigger sprayer of the type which is mounted to the top of a container of liquid and which has a trigger handle which can be squeezed to cause pumping and dispensing of liquid from a nozzle of the sprayer which has an off position and a stream position and/or spray mist position.
Such trigger sprayers have found wide application for the dispensing of cleaning fluids, such as liquids for cleaning windows or for dispensing water in a spray mist on plants, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, many many trigger sprayers have been proposed for pumping and dispensing liquid in a spray mist or stream from a bottle or other container.
With the discovery of the effect of fluorocarbons on the ozone layer in the atmosphere, the trend in the spray container industry has been away from aerosol operated spray containers and toward trigger sprayers which utilize a manually operating pump without the use of fluorocarbons.
Thus, over the last fifteen years, a large number of patents have been granted on various innovations, improvements and modifications to trigger sprayers with a view toward providing a simple, inexpensive trigger sprayer which will function effectively as a closure for the container and also as a metering device for dispensing fluid in a spray mist or stream.
Examples of a large number of, but by far not all of, the trigger sprayer constructions previously proposed, are disclosed in the following U.S. patents:
______________________________________ U.S. PAT. NO. PATENTEE ______________________________________ 2,699,271 Davis 3,061,202 Tyler 3,062,416 Cooprider 3,130,877 Miller 3,149,755 Porter et al 3,185,355 Lipman 3,486,663 Humphrey 3,650,473 Malone 3,685,739 Vanier 3,701,478 Tada 3,726,442 Davidson et al 3,749,290 Micallef 3,762,647 Tada 3,768,734 Anderson, Jr. et al 3,770,206 Tada 3,780,951 Powers 3,840,157 Hellenkamp 3,843,030 Micallef 3,897,006 Tada 3,967,765 Micallef 3,973,700 Schmidt et al 3,986,644 Grogan et al 3,987,938 Cooprider et al 3,995,774 Cooprider et al 4,013,228 Schneider 4,072,252 Steyns et al 4,082,223 Nozawa 4,109,869 Brockelsby et al 4,138,038 Grogan 4,153,203 Tada 4,155,487 Blake 4,161,288 McKinney 4,168,788 Quinn 4,183,449 Blake 4,191,313 Blake et al 4,201,317 Aleff 4,204,614 Reeve 4,222,501 Hammett et al 4,225,061 Blake et al 4,227,650 McKinney 4,230,277 Tada 4,234,128 Quinn et al 4,241,853 Pauls et al 4,247,048 Hayes 4,257,539 Cary et al 4,260,079 Cary et al 4,260,082 Rooney et al 4,313,568 Shay 4,340,158 Ford et al French Patent No. M. Pasteur 1,333,491 ______________________________________
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the trigger sprayer of the present invention has a number of features which provide a more efficient and effective trigger sprayer that is also more economical and less expensive to manufacture than previously proposed trigger sprayers.
Certain of the features are novel per se and others of the features are similar to features previously proposed in prior trigger sprayer constructions.
For example, the provision of an adjustable or multiple purpose nozzle assembly is disclosed in the Quinn et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,128 and the Micallef U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,843,030 and 3,967,765.
Other adjustable or removable nozzles are disclosed in the Shay U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,568, the Reeve U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,614 and the Pauls et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,241,853.
Liquid dispensers utilizing upper and lower in-line ball type check valves are disclosed in the Cooprider U.S. Pat. No. 3,062,416, the Hammett et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,501, and the Ford et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,158.
Other dispensers using two ball type check valves are disclosed in the Pasteur French Pat. No. 1,333,491 and in the Davis U.S. Pat. No. 2,699,271.
A seating and retaining structure on the back side of a trigger handle for the forward end of a plunger or piston in a trigger sprayer are disclosed in the Tada U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,203 and in the Cary et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,079.
Other types of plunger-trigger handle couplings are disclosed in the Tyler U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202, the Malone U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,473, the Vanier U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,739 and the Steyns et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,252.
Guide pins, rods or posts for a biasing spring in a trigger sprayer are disclosed in the Tyler U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,202, the Tada U.S. Pat. No. 3,701,478, the Tada U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,206, the Malone U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,473, the Vanier U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,739 and the Steyns et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,252.
Moreover, various flap type valves in trigger sprayers are disclosed in the Miller U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,871, the Humphrey U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,663, the Davidson et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,442, the Micallef U.S. Pat. No. 3,749,290, the Schmidt et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,700, the Grogan U.S. Pat. No. 3,986,644, the Cooprider et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,938, the Cooprider et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,774, the Alef U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,317 and the Blake et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,061. Note also the O-ring valve disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,734.
Venting of a bottle on a pumping stroke in a trigger sprayer without affecting the seal between a sprayer cap and the bottle is disclosed in Steyns U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,252.
Finally, eccentric or off-center mounting of a dip tube in a trigger sprayer is disclosed in the Grogan U.S. Pat. No. 4,138,038, the Blake U.S. Pat. No. 4,155,487 and the Reeve U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,614.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the trigger sprayer of the present invention provides a simple, inexpensive sprayer construction which in one embodiment, includes a novel plastic valve element which has a frusto-conical skirt or umbrella-like configuration, frictionally and sealingly engaging with the cylindrical wall of a bore in a body of the sprayer and being deflectable radially inwardly by fluid being pumped so as to allow the pumped fluid to pass around the skirt or umbrella-like configuration.
Further, the trigger sprayer comprises a simple, body member which is configured to receive a nozzle bushing which is adapted to mount a removable and positionable nozzle which can have one, two or three positions, such as an off position, a spray mist position, or a stream discharge position.
Still further, the lower body portion of the body has a cylindrical hollow and a cylindrical cavity for receiving one shape of insert member which can have one of several internal configurations and a horizontally extending cavity for receiving a piston, or an insert sleeve and a piston, with a trigger handle pivotally mounted to the body and slidably engagable with the forward end of the piston.